Test Preparation Tips, Strategies, Articles & Ideas | LogicPrep - LogicPrep Educationhttps://www.logicprep.com/blog/Mon, 19 Nov 2018 17:39:36 +0000en-USSite-Server v6.0.0-16174-16174 (http://www.squarespace.com)Prep Talk The LogicPrep BlogHighlights from NACAC 2018College ConsultingAnnouncementsEducational ArticlesEli SMon, 19 Nov 2018 17:54:20 +0000https://www.logicprep.com/blog/highlights-from-nacac-2018546119bae4b085cc73a9bff6:54629991e4b068e8b9fa0a19:5bf2f55803ce64ef0e499419Every year college admissions professionals gather for the NACAC Conference to discuss the trends happening in the world of admissions. The conference this year took place in Salt Lake City and covered a number of new and exciting topics.

A new way to read applications - Committee Based Evaluations

There is a relatively new way that applications are being read in admissions offices called Committee Based Evaluations that was started by an admissions officer at the University of Pennsylvania. Now, when you apply to Penn, your application is read by two people — at the same time, sitting right next to each other. One will be the "driver;” this person manages the “territory” (admissions speak for the geographic location) that the application is coming from. The driver is someone who is familiar with your school’s curriculum, opportunities, and overall grading system, and will focus on the more quantitative and academic side of your app (transcript, school profile, counselor recommendation, and teacher recommendations). The second reader will be assessing the more personal and qualitative components of your app (the application, essays, alumni interview, and any additional information or recommendations). The two readers will then discuss the applicant together as they read through the application to ensure the most thorough read. This strategy guarantees more eyes on every application — focusing on each facet — and we won’t be surprised if more colleges begin to adopt this procedure in the coming seasons.

What is Early Decision 2 really?

A panel of Admission Officers from Claremont McKenna, Colorado College, and University of Chicago examined Early Decision 2 and why those acceptance rates are significantly lower than Early Decision 1. Claremont McKenna saw a 13% drop in acceptances between the two rounds, Colorado College saw a 9% drop, and the University of Chicago declined to share their numbers. However, there were a few themes throughout all of their presentations that alluded to why this is the case. In addition to being a larger applicant pool in Early Decision 1 as opposed to Early Decision 2, students with “hooks” - something that allows them to stand out in the process - most often apply in the first Early Decision round. These students are the legacies and recruited athletes and oftentimes are able to have the conversation with admissions (via a coach) before applying, helping to ensure that their Early choice is within reach. The other notable difference that everyone (myself included) saw between the rounds is that the strength of the Early Decision 2 pool is weaker than Early Decision 1. Not in such a way that it makes it easier for a student to get in through ED2 as opposed to ED1, but because students sometimes overreach on where they are applying. This makes the choice of selecting an Early Decision 2 school that much more strategic for those students who either don’t get into their Early Decision 1 school or don’t apply in the first round.

The TOEFL has competition

Duolingo, the popular language learning platform, has rolled out a competitor to the TOEFL test. Using the data they’ve collected on language learning patterns from its millions of users, they’re able to test people on their level of English proficiency. They can do this at a much faster rate by having the test adapt to the user’s level of fluency, allowing them to complete it in 45 minutes rather than 4 hours. This test has already been adopted as an alternative to the TOEFL by top schools including Yale, Duke, WashU, Tufts, UCLA among others. More information (and an opportunity to try the test out) to come soon!

“Fit” isn’t just a buzzword — it’s an increasingly important angle to evaluating college applications.

The vast majority of universities are moving towards putting more emphasis on "fit.” A number of admission officers and deans that we spoke with brought up the importance of using fit to prioritize applicants — in a manner more prominent than it has been in years past. They spoke about this in the sense that applicants who may seem qualified for a school, but don't fit in (one example given was a non-STEM student applying to CalTech) wouldn't be accepted. On the other hand, students who might seem a little under qualified for a given school but are a really good fit for the campus and academic life would, in fact, be offered a spot. While this concept has always been a factor in the admissions process, it seems as though it will be weighed even more heavily. With this in mind, the narrative students share is even more important than ever.

You have more control over your recommendation letter than you think

Some high schools are developing a new format for writing letters of recommendation. While not the most groundbreaking news, some schools are trying to structure their letters to have individual sections for showing (1) how the student did in the larger context, (2) what his or her activities and interests are, and (3) what kind of impact he or she has made on the community or school at large. This means that it’s now more important than ever for students to diligently fill out their “brag sheets” — a term often applied to the self-reporting form students submit to guidance counselors. If this isn’t an option at your school, take the initiative to send your guidance counselor a summary of your achievements and contributions to your classrooms and community. This way, you can be sure your counselor will have plenty of glowing anecdotal information to draw from when drafting your recommendation letter.

More College Consulting Articles]]>Tips for Succeeding on the Spanish Subject TestSchool SupportStudy TipsSubject TestTesting TipsCosmo AWed, 14 Nov 2018 22:29:40 +0000https://www.logicprep.com/blog/tips-for-succeeding-on-the-spanish-subject-test546119bae4b085cc73a9bff6:54629991e4b068e8b9fa0a19:5bec95ce1ae6cf2bb6925281For many speakers of Brazilian Portuguese, taking the SAT Subject Test in Spanish seems like a no-brainer. After all, Spanish and Portuguese have upwards of 80% lexical similarity, and the infamous portuñol has long allowed Latin Americans of both linguistic backgrounds to communicate with some degree of ease.

Yet Brazilians should not think of the SAT Subject Test in Spanish as a cakewalk. There are crucial differences between the two languages that can bring down your test score if you aren't careful. I for one learned Spanish growing up, and after two years of study, continue to find Portuguese both familiar and challenging. While understanding written Spanish may not be difficult for Brazilian students, the SAT Subject Test asks questions about very specific grammar topics -- pronouns and irregular conjugations, for instance -- that require some preparation.

Remember, the biggest difference between Spanish and Portuguese is phonetics. Since you won’t be speaking on the test, don’t fret! Do, however, review these key concepts before jumping into the Spanish test cold turkey:

Articles & Demonstrative Pronouns

Definite articles

Feminine -- La, lasMasculine -- El, los

Indefinite articles

Feminine -- una, unasMasculine -- un, unos

Note that in Spanish, there are far fewer contractions with prepositions than in Portuguese. Only de and el contract (to “del”).

Demonstrative pronouns also resemble Portuguese, but watch the spelling! None of these will ever contract with any prepositions.

Personal Pronouns & Possessives

Brazilian Portuguese is a very colloquial (informal) language, meaning that many of its grammatical rules tend to be disregarded in everyday speech. Spanish tends to retain a more formal linguistic structure even in informal contexts. Pronouns and possessives are one area where this difference is evident. Take a look at this chart:

*For reflexive verbs

ªIf you’ve studied Spanish, you might be familiar with the pronouns “vos” (common in certain countries in South America) or “vosotros” (common in Spain). Don’t worry about learning either of these for the sake of the SAT Subject Test.

It might be helpful to review the difference between subject and object pronouns in English (a classic ACT/SAT topic) before jumping into the differences between Spanish and Portuguese. Notice, however, the surface level similarities between the cousin languages.

Subject pronouns are straightforward: we use them to replace nouns that are in subject position, meaning that they come before a verb.

Object pronouns are a bit more complicated. In Spanish, there are three different types of object pronouns: direct, indirect, and prepositional.

Here, homework is the direct object -- the thing being given -- while him is the person being given that item, hence the indirect object.

Notice that in Portuguese, the difference between the direct and indirect object pronouns is often ignored in everyday speech; Brazilians use subject pronouns no matter the noun’s position vis-à-vis the verb, and they often make use prepositional phrases to avoid using the object pronoun, as shown above. Spanish behaves more like English or French in its retention of the distinction between subject pronouns, direct/indirect object pronouns, and even prepositional pronouns:

Moreover, be sure to not forget that genitive pronouns (possessive pronouns) exist in Spanish, as in English and French! In Portuguese, the genitive form is constructed by adding a definite article to the possessive adjective, whereas Spanish has a different form. This distinction is an important one:

This test is mine.Essa prova é a minha.Esa prueba es mía.

Essential Logical Connectors

A lot of prepositions, introductory phrases, and logical connectors in Spanish will be familiar to speakers of Portuguese. Some, however, are quite different. Be sure to know the ones that differ most from Portuguese:

Luego – don’t confuse this one with logo! “Luego” in Spanish means “then” or “next,” not necessarily “quickly” or “very soon” as in Portuguese.

Verb Tenses

In general, Spanish and Portuguese verbs behave relatively similarly in their written form. One major difference lies in the subjunctive. For one, Spanish does not have a future subjunctive; in cases where the future subjunctive is used in Portuguese, hispanohablantes will usually substitute the present or imperfect subjunctive. Sometimes, Spanish speakers forgo the subjunctive altogether, especially when talking about hypotheticals or plans for the future:

Overall, however, speakers of Portuguese should be relatively familiar with Spanish verbs. That said, Spanish has a lot of "stem-changing" verbs that complicate mutual intelligibility, particularly in the subjunctive. These verbs behave a bit erratically, changing in spelling and thus deviating significantly from the Portuguese equivalent.

Make sure you know the meaning of these twelve essential irregular verbs. Don’t forget how to conjugate them in the present and imperfect*subjunctive tenses:

Note: don’t be overwhelmed(!), but the imperfect subjunctive in Spanish actually has two forms. The one listed above is more common, but you might see the other form on the SAT. All you do is swap out the -era ending for -ese: estuviese, fuese, hubiese, etc.

False Cognates

While context clues and shared Latin roots will help a lusophone tremendously on the Spanish SAT Subject Test, there are lots of false cognates between the two languages. Here are the eight words most likely to trip you up on the SAT Subject Test:

TirarBR-PT: to take away, to steal, or to obtain (as in tirar a 36 on the ACT!)ES: to throw(quitar is the Spanish verb for “to take away” – but you would not say “quité un 36 en el ACT;” instead, try the verb sacar)

More Study Tips]]>Early Decision Notification Dates 2018-2019AnnouncementsCollege ConsultingKim DennyWed, 07 Nov 2018 18:51:11 +0000https://www.logicprep.com/blog/early-decision-notification-dates-2018-2019546119bae4b085cc73a9bff6:54629991e4b068e8b9fa0a19:5be32f2e575d1f150e26729aYou’ve completed your Early applications, and now you’re playing the waiting game. When do you find out if you’ve been accepted? We’ve got all of your Early Decision/Early Action notification dates for the Class of 2023 right here:

For many students, the ACT math section is the final frontier on the journey to their dream score. While the section can sometimes feel daunting — those word problems can go on forever — there’s some easy prep that can save you some time and earn you some major points. By far, the one thing that makes the biggest difference for my students is getting familiar with the most common formulas. Because the ACT math section is relatively short (just about a minute per question) and you don’t get a formula sheet, knowing these formulas can be the difference between feeling like a champ after your test and leaving the test center scratching your head. Here are my top six formulas to know before the ACT:

1. Special Right Triangles

One of the first things I ask my students to memorize. For some people, the meaning of life is happiness, or success; for the ACT, it’s special right triangles. It feels like half of the geometry problems are really just triangle problems in disguise, so knowing the sets of side lengths (or angles) that always make perfect right triangles definitely comes in handy.

2. Area of a Trapezoid

This one might seem a bit random, but there’s always at least one trapezoid problem on the ACT, and it’s an easy way to guarantee yourself a point. It’s also one of the easiest to memorize, since it’s so close to the triangle area formula.

Watch out here- sometimes you’ll be need to find the height, where the Pythagorean Theorem (or your knowledge of special right triangles) will be a big help.

3. Distance and Midpoint

Two very popular questions in coordinate geometry:

...are easily solved when you have the equations for distance and midpoint between two points. (there’s also a nifty program, Points, that can do this for you- know the formulas, but don’t be afraid to take advantage of the technology!).

4. Slope of a Line

Slope. Gradient. Rise over run. A slope by any other name works just as well- as long as you remember that your change in Y always goes above your change in X.

5. Slope-Intercept Form of a Line

Speaking of slopes, remembering how to find the slope-intercept form of a line is a must. While the ACT doesn’t play as many tricks as other, similar tests (see: SAT), one thing the test writers love to do is hand you an equation that looks like this:

...and ask you for the slope. Proceed with caution! Most students pull the coefficient off the X (in this case, that would give us C), but this only works when your line is in slope-intercept form:

2x + 3y + 6 = 0

3y = -6 - 2x

y = -6 -2/3x

Here, it’s evident that the answer is actually D. My advice? Anytime you get an equation that looks like this, rearrange it so it’s in slope intercept. You’ll still be able to plug and chug if you need to, and you’ll save yourself one of those.

6. SOHCAHTOA

Not really a formula as much as it is a mnemonic device, but an essential one, especially on the second half of the test. Most of the right triangle trig questions on the test are pretty straightforward— just remember to double check which angle you’re using when you’re figuring out your opposite vs. adjacent sides.

P.S. don’t forget- tan can be rewritten a fraction (sin/cos)!

These formulas are a great start for anyone starting their ACT math prep, or a good refresher for anyone looking to bulk up on some math knowledge mid-program. Learn these, and you’ll be flying through the math section in no time!

More ACT Math Tips]]>Why Reading Will Benefit You When Applying to College & BeyondACTEducational ArticlesSATTesting TipsFausto FThu, 01 Nov 2018 18:47:36 +0000https://www.logicprep.com/blog/why-reading-will-benefit-you-when-applying-to-college-and-beyond546119bae4b085cc73a9bff6:54629991e4b068e8b9fa0a19:5bdb450f03ce64828d755246It is quite clear that we live in a digital age where our minds are often inundated with information from platforms like Facebook and Instagram and also from text messages we receive from family and friends. We spend a great deal of our time responding to notifications, time that we could otherwise spend devoted to old-school, deep reading. I get it! In fact, I am sometimes guilty of it myself getting carried away by such distractions (and I even enjoy it). However, I think it is important to note the difference between the texts found in a book or informative article and the text messages found in your phone. I favor the former and here are a few reasons why:

Engaged reading can only improve your SAT/ACT scores

First, as many of us know, the current college application process involves more than just completing a set of courses in high school and achieving a certain GPA. It means preparation for standardized tests like the ACT or SAT. It means proving your intellectual strengths. For the ACT or SAT in particular, building the habit of engaged reading is crucial to see progress not only in the verbal sections of the ACT/SAT but all throughout. I see this all the time with my students. In fact, various studies show that deep engaged reading is actually connected to cognitive progress over time. This cognitive progress can help you overcome the reading section of the ACT/SAT, give you exposure to new vocabulary and new ideas, and even give you new forms of reasoning to solve that super complicated math problem.

Colleges want to know that you’re reading

Second, aside from standardized tests, colleges and universities admire students who go out of their way to delve into readings of their interest. So much so that often colleges and universities might ask for your favorite outside readings (not assigned in your English class) on their applications. Columbia for example asks “List the titles of the books you read for pleasure that you enjoyed most in the past year” in one of their 2018-2019 supplement prompts. Boston College asks “Is there a particular song, poem, speech, or novel from which you have drawn insight or inspiration?”. Both of these questions provide an opportunity to show that you strive to become more informed in areas that interest you. Reading in this case becomes an advantage during the application process. You can use a book to talk about your passions and values or how a book pushed you to explore a certain subject.

You’ll understand the world better

Finally and most importantly, reading is a tool to learn greater empathy. I read an article recently that asserts this: words serve as a vehicle that transports you through someone else’s perspective. When you read deeply and meaningfully, you come across characters that are just like you. You also get exposed to others that are completely different than you. But reading is so intimate that you are often looking through the eyes of a character whether understanding their struggle or celebrating their success. In fact, different parts of our brain that have to do with emotion activate as we read about the life of a character. As the article pointed out, when we are deeply engaged with a story our brains mirror the actions and feelings of the characters. When we read, we exercise our brain to process new ways of forging relationships between ourselves and others. You have the opportunity to gain more sophisticated ways of understanding the world.

You might favor reading quick posts on your phone because it requires minimal effort. However, keep in mind that with minimal effort comes minimal rewards. You might be slowing your test preparation progress. You might be giving up an opportunity to increase your reading speed and comprehension. You might be giving up an opportunity to understand the thoughts and feelings of someone different.

What I would encourage is instead for you to choose to participate in deep reading. Pick an area that you like, something that interests you, and research a book related to it. If you still have a hard time finding a book, come to any of us at LogicPrep and we will gladly help you.

Reading makes us smarter, more informed, and more empathetic. These characteristics will be highly valued as you apply to college and even beyond. Why not start building them now? You want to go into college showing maturity through empathy and also demonstrating that you can handle the volume and complexity of college-level reading material.

Find Books to Read]]>Flu Season RemindersAnnouncementsKrishna MTue, 23 Oct 2018 20:10:22 +0000https://www.logicprep.com/blog/flu-season-reminders546119bae4b085cc73a9bff6:54629991e4b068e8b9fa0a19:5bcf7cef9140b7614a0798efGuys, I know it’s the beginning of the season where we all stay in, drink hot chocolate, and binge watch Netflix -- but do you also know what time of year it is? Flu season.

LogicPrep is no stranger to the consequences of flu season, and I am sure you aren’t either. So we can all agree that it’s one of the worst parts about fall and winter (the jury is out on snow). Nevertheless, there are measures we can all take to insure we all enjoy our time inside willingly, and not because we are glued to our a tissue box.

Cover Your Mouth

I know I sound like an annoying mom right now, but this is important. Try to cough and sneeze into your elbow, please. I get it, sometimes you’re blindsided, but it definitely will not kill you or anyone else to try. And in the unfortunate event that you sneeze into your hand, please see #2.

Wash Your Hands

This is also just a basic rule of thumb. Wash your hands before and after meals! Another way around this is to use Purell. If you are ever at LogicPrep and need to do either of these things, please see one of our three bathrooms. Better yet, we also keep hand sanitizer in every room!

Try Not to Share

This one is hard for me because I am a huge food sharer. I love sharing food with my friends and vice versa. I understand though that there’s a time and place for everything, and maybe flu season is the time to be a little more selfish.

Don’t Wait Until You’re Sick

I didn’t recognize the importance of taking my vitamins (and health) seriously until I got into college. While I do not want to make this an advertisement for Emergen-C or anything of the sort, drinking your orange juice will only help you in the long run. Don’t wait until you feel the tickle in your throat -- take preemptive measures like getting the flu shot or taking vitamins to help strengthen your immune system in order to keep the sickness at bay.

In high school, the dorms, and even here at the LP office, you’re interacting with so many different people that there’s no time to think about germs. But a little bit of conscious effort is more than enough to keep you healthy, I promise. And please always remember that if you are feeling sick and cannot make it in, no worries! You have five days to reschedule, and trust me, we want you to feel better soon!

When I began teaching ACT Math four years ago, I primarily emphasized teaching students the “mathematical” ways of solving questions — that is, solving questions in ways that their math teachers would be proud of. As a math major, I felt — and still do — that it’s important for students to understand the concepts underlying the math that they’re doing. While I still encourage a conceptual understanding, I’ve also learned that -- on standardized tests like the ACT and the SAT -- students benefit most from having multiple ways to solve any given question. In fact, these tests routinely reward creative solving-problem. To that end, one surprisingly powerful technique that test-takers can use on the ACT Math — one that typical math teachers would probably not approve of — is eyeballing.

Take a look at this math question, taken from a real ACT, as featured in The Real ACT book, test 2:

This question can be solved in multiple ways:

The standard “math” way to solve it is to recognize that the two angles on the line are supplementary and so must add up to 180 degrees. We then set up the equation (4x + 6) + 2x = 180, and solve to get that x = 29. Since the question is asking for the measure of the smaller angle, which is 2x, we then double this to get (D) 58 degrees.

Another approach to the question is to approximate the measure of the smaller angle by simply eyeballing it: it looks to be slightly more than 45 degrees. We then go to the answer choices. The figures on the ACT Math are drawn roughly to scale, so what answer choices can we eliminate? Well, (A), (B), and (C) are all far too small. We can also eliminate (E) because we know that it’s possible to set up an equation to solve for the smaller angle.

Interestingly, for this particular question, eyeballing the figure to arrive at the answer is actually faster than solving the question algebraically. In addition, eyeballing avoids a common mistake students make when solving this question algebraically. That is, many students set up the equation and correctly solve for x, finding that x = 29. They forget, though, that the question is asking for the measure of the smaller angle (which is 2x), and they choose (C). (Note: Solving this question algebraically is still great as a primary strategy and can be done very quickly if you’re comfortable with the algebra.)

While eyeballing can be helpful, it should be thought of more as an extra tool rather than as a primary problem solving-strategy. The technique is only relevant for questions with figures, and, even on such questions, it often can’t be used by itself to narrow down to one answer. However, it 1) can be the most efficient way of solving certain questions, 2) will often allow you to eliminate at least two answers on many other questions if you need to make an educated guess, and 3) provides a way to double-check your work if you solve the question using a more standard math approach. For example, in the question above, if a student decides to solve the question algebraically, he or she can then quickly glance at the figure to see whether the answer makes sense given the scale.

As a final example, consider this question, again taken from a real ACT, as featured in The Real ACT book, test 4:

This question appears among the last 10 questions of an ACT Math section. At this stage of the Math section, many students are pressed for time and/or are unsure of how to solve certain questions using standard math approaches. In situations like this, when a student needs to make an educated guess, eyeballing can come in handy.

The question asks for the height of the building. Based on the given length of the shadow, which is 24 yards, and given the scale, we know that the height of the building is slightly more than 24 yards. We can use this to eliminate (F), (G), and (H). In a situation when we might need to guess, (the correct answer is (K)), we’ve very simply and quickly increased our chances.

Andrew

Washington University in St. Louis: Tell us about something that really sparks your intellectual interest and curiosity and compels you to explore more. It could be an idea, book, project, cultural activity, work of art, start-up, music, movie, research, innovation, question, or other pursuit.

Andrew’s tip: A question like this is great because it's inherently exciting. There's no implied expectation to start with some wild hook or pithy remark. Really, the best way to start with this kind of question is just with free brainstorming, or even going back-and-forth with a friend. Imagine: what kind of class would you read in a course catalogue and go nuts over? Or start listing out some of your favorite (or just recent!) classes, books, movies, etc. and start spitballing: what grabbed you? Once you've filled a half page (or more!) with everything that jumps to mind, start rereading your notes. Do any immediately lead you to ask another question? These cascading questions can be a great sign that you really have an interest to describe here.

David

Villanova University: Describe a book, movie, song, or other work of art that has been significant to you since you were young and how its meaning has changed for you as you have grown.

David’s tip: I love this one because it allows you to both revel in a work of art or pop culture you've loved as a kid and also show the tools you have now to look at it with more adult eyes. I recommend going back to something you loved before you were, say, 7. Because all great works you love as a kid have so much more there waiting to be explored!

Eli & Julia

University of Virginia: What’s your favorite word and why?

Eli’s tip: This is a great chance to be creative and really stand out in the process - think outside the box!

Julia’s tip: This prompt allows you to fill in the cracks of your application with whatever aspect of your personality you feel hasn't been addressed elsewhere. Is the rest of your application quite serious? Choose a silly word (like my personal favorite, "guacamole" -- it's impossible to say without smiling). Are you bilingual? Choose a non-English word of significance to you. A language nerd? Choose something with an interesting etymology, like "clue". Still can't come up with anything? Then work your way backward: pick a story that you want to share with your Admissions Officer, and come up with a word that will serve as a segue allowing you to tell your tale.

Fausto & Marjorie

Common Application: The lessons we take from obstacles we encounter can be fundamental to later success. Recount a time when you faced a challenge, setback, or failure. How did it affect you, and what did you learn from the experience?

Fausto’s tip: This question gives you an opportunity to acknowledge a time when you struggled and overcame a challenge. By reflecting on challenges and setbacks, you will demonstrates courage, perseverance, a sense of maturity and self introspection. Think of an obstacle that resulted in an "aha" moment. Show how that obstacle was transformational - what did you learn? how did you change?

Marjorie’s tip: This is actually my least favorite prompt. Like any prompt, the “lessons we take” from setbacks or failures can result in a good essay, but so often it’s a trap! Students set up artificial “challenges” wherein other students misbehave (e.g. in a homophobic, misogynist, or racist manner) and, having witnessed this behavior, they confront the “challenge” of what to do about it! This results in a judgmental rather than an introspective narrative. Or worse, the student addresses an authentic setback or failure...but dwells on actual failure resulting in an essay leaving what might best be characterized as a “Wah wahhhhhhh” impression rather than a positive impression on the reader.

Grace

Stanford University: The "write a letter to your roommate" essay.

Grace’s tip: I'd recommend answering it colloquially (without being disrespectful or crass, of course) while revealing your voice and personality, any quirks and weird fun facts about yourself, and general excitement about specific opportunities (name them) Stanford has to offer -- and how you're pumped to explore all of those things together with your roommate.

Matthew

University of California Application: Every person has a creative side, and it can be expressed in many ways: problem solving, original and innovative thinking, and artistically, to name a few. Describe how you express your creative side.

Matthew’s tip: I love the way this question defines creativity in such a broad fashion, beyond the usual associations the term has with the arts. I'd recommend writing about an activity they don't suggest. Baking cookies? Doodling on your converse sneakers? The weirder, the better!

Sean

Yale University: Most first-year Yale students live in suites of four to six people. What do you hope to add to your suitemates' experience? What do you hope they will add to yours?

Sean’s tip: I love this Yale-specific question because it brings back a flood of memories from my time in the residential college system. Having gone through Yale, I would advise someone who is applying to lean into the second half of the question. "What do you hope they will add to yours?" During my time at Yale, I was exposed to some truly unique people and experiences, and most of them happened in the form of impromptu trips to people's hometowns, meals they cooked, or concerts of their favorite bands. These experiences both broadened my interests and helped me make life long friends. It may sound tacky but its true, and that is one of the goals of Yale's residential college system. If you can speak to this, the admissions officers will see that you are applying for a wonderful reason: your peers.

Stuck on an essay prompt not listed here? We can help. Contact us today to get started!

More College Application Tips]]>How to Solve ItACTSATStudy TipsTesting TipsNico OMon, 01 Oct 2018 18:45:27 +0000https://www.logicprep.com/blog/how-to-solve-it546119bae4b085cc73a9bff6:54629991e4b068e8b9fa0a19:5bb2660615fcc08ed51e7616One of my jobs at LogicPrep is to help students prepare for the ACT and SAT. Unsurprisingly, this involves spending lots of time working on, thinking about, and discussing ACT and SAT problems. These are activities some might seek to avoid, reminders of stressful days spent in examination rooms and the fraught process of college applications. While I understand the aversion, however, I do not share it. It is not that I enjoy the cutthroat arena of standardized testing (I do not); it is simply that these tests, while imperfect, represent an opportunity to develop a skill I value deeply in myself and those around me: the ability to solve problems.

In 1945, Hungarian mathematician George Pólya wrote his short text, How to Solve It, an exploration of problem solving methods drawn from mathematics but applicable in a wide variety of problematic settings. Its introduction lays out the following four-step process, to be used when presented with a new and vexing problem:

1. Understand the problem

Example: Susie is a rising junior in high school interested in applying to a competitive university, and she needs to take the ACT or SAT. This is a problem for her because she knows little about either exam, has a very busy course load at school, and does not consider herself to be a good test taker. Her older sister Jennifer, always a model student, earned a very high score on the ACT but was still rejected from her top-choice school, and Susie worries this may happen to her.

2. Devise a plan

Ex. (continued): Susie decides to meet with a tutor her friend recommends, and she and the tutor plot a course of action together. Since Susie is swamped with schoolwork, it is important she spread out her test preparation as much as possible, so she plans to begin the process the following weekend. She schedules a mock ACT and a mock SAT at a local testing center to determine which exam is a better fit, and she schedules weekly sessions with her tutor to work on relevant math topics, as math is her weakest subject. She aims to take her first official exam in the spring, leaving open the option of taking the test again in the summer and fall.

3. Carry out the plan

Ex. (continued): Susie finds that the ACT is a better fit for her than the SAT, since she doesn’t mind its strict time limits and actually enjoys the Science section, much to her friends’ disbelief. She and her tutor begin a thorough review of important math topics, including linear and quadratic functions, right triangle trigonometry, and systems of equations. Though she takes a couple of weeks off from her ACT prep for an important soccer tournament (which her team wins), she completes the homework her tutor assigns her and doesn’t lose momentum. In April, Susie performs well on her first official exam, but she decides to shoot for a higher math score and takes the June test as well, ultimately achieving her goal score.

4. Reflect on your work

Ex. (continued): When Susie applies Early Decision to her top choice school and is admitted in December, she takes a moment to reflect on her work over the preceding year. Though it is not her style to boast, she feels proud of her accomplishment and is glad she set aside the time to thoroughly prepare for the ACT. Starting early had been a good idea; it made her feel more optimistic about her odds of success and allowed room for unforeseen interruptions to her preparation – her victory in that soccer tournament turned out to be a nice boost to her college application, and an experience with teammates she will never forget.

If Susie could have done one thing differently, it would have been to worry less about her sister’s performance on the ACT and in the college admissions process. Jennifer’s experience was instructive, but it was only one data point in a sea of possible outcomes (and Jennifer’s second-choice school turned out to be a perfect fit for her). Comparing herself with Jennifer was counterproductive, for everybody is different and follows a different path in life. Susie is now more confident in her ability to solve challenging problems on her own, and when faced with life’s next major problem, she will know how to solve it: just take things step by step.

More Test Prep Tips]]>Bounty of the Bard: The Profit of Minor InsightsACTEducational ArticlesSATStudy TipsRyan GThu, 20 Sep 2018 16:24:47 +0000https://www.logicprep.com/blog/bounty-of-the-bard-the-profit-of-minor-insights546119bae4b085cc73a9bff6:54629991e4b068e8b9fa0a19:5ba3c66de5e5f038e4493fb3As many of my students know, I am a self-professed Shakespeare obsessive. His writing – plays and sonnets – might first be introduced in middle or high school as seemingly distant, foreignly-rendered text, but the reality of each line teems with vivid, living and immediate human experience. This experience isn’t something apart from what you, the student, or I, the instructor, might be familiar with – somewhere, in any given line from any work of Shakespeare’s – from the popularly known to the obscure – contains an articulation of every complex emotion that can be experienced: all one needs to do is be paying attention.

How is this relevant to education practice, or test prep, you might ask? In a larger sense, our shared work toward test prep mastery is centered on self-knowledge and improvement – we strategize around our strength and perceived weaknesses to build a more confident, fully-rendered you (and the human care and reflection built throughout Shakespeare can be a key tenet of that process).

Let’s look at this in detail: Act I, Scene I of the comedy Taming of the Shrew:

No profit grows where is no pleasure ta'en.In brief, sir, study what you most affect.

In the very earliest moments of the play, Tranio (the servant of a secondary character, someone to whom, in the larger scheme of narrative, we might pay little to no attention) delivers an invaluable, sharp insight of empowerment. Enjoyment, and sincere investment, is key to effective growth in any capacity – particularly academic. It’s all about finding your point of entry. Perhaps the content is key, and you readily invest in any fictional work; perhaps you’re of a puzzle-breaking mind, and analyzing and breaking the patterns of the test is your tactic of approach; or perhaps, simply, your drive to put in the work is to finish as soon as possible. Success is personal, and honest-to-goodness happiness is key.

And maybe there’s a lesson to be taken not only from the text, but also from the fashion of its use. A kernel of profundity placed within the early lines of a minor character – easy to overlook, and even easier to not give credence to when notice is taken. Shakespeare imbues every character with expansive humanity, whether central or tertiary. There is human use to this – in the attention we pay to people of all stripes who enter within our narrative – and certainly educational use, too.

There is innate value in detail-oriented attention, and by taking in every aspect of how value is delivered to us, in Shakespeare, in life, and in the testing room, build a stronger, more comprehensive understanding as we move forward. A growing profit, indeed.

More Study Tips]]>LogicPrep Ranked on Entrepreneur's Top Company Cultures List 2018In The NewsLP Brazil NewsLP Miami NewsLP New York NewsKim DennyTue, 18 Sep 2018 14:56:30 +0000https://www.logicprep.com/blog/logicprep-ranked-on-entrepreneurs-top-company-cultures-list-2018546119bae4b085cc73a9bff6:54629991e4b068e8b9fa0a19:5ba10dbacd8366f6f56f1bb3LogicPrepwas recently ranked on Entrepreneur'sTop Company Cultures list, a comprehensive ranking of U.S.-based businesses exhibiting high-performance cultures created in partnership with employee engagement platform and service provider Energage. The Top Company Cultures list has placed LogicPrep as number 36 in the small company category. LogicPrep is recognized for creating an exceptional culture that drives employee engagement, exceeds employee expectations and directly impacts company success.

At LogicPrep, we pride ourselves in being a radically different brand of college test prep, and our team members are what set us apart. LogicPrep strives to creates an entrepreneurial, intellectually curious, joyous, and compassionate environment for learning and self-discovery. This tone is set by our brain trust of tutors and advisers, whose EQs are just as high as their IQs. We are so proud of the entire LogicPrep team for being recognized for this award!

“Great company cultures don’t happen by accident. They happen because leaders understand how to create excellent working environments, and how to make everyone share the same mission,” says Jason Feifer, editor in chief of Entrepreneur magazine. “Our 2018 Top Company Cultures list is a great celebration of companies that are doing it right, and should serve as inspiration for everyone who leads a team."

The full list, presenting a total of 150 companies categorized as small, midsize or large companies—with 74 or fewer employees, 75-299 employees and more than 300 employees respectively— is available on Entrepreneur.com. Core insights, behaviors and attributes that have helped to shape the high-performing cultures presented by the top companies are shared alongside practices to help other companies develop their own workplace environments.

“Becoming a Top Company Cultures winner isn’t something an organization can buy,” said Doug Claffey, CEO of Energage. “It’s an achievement organizations have to work for. Based on our decade of research, we have come to view workplace culture is the only remaining sustainable competitive business advantage. Great strategies can be copied, but culture cannot.”

Employees took online surveys, and the honorees were determined and ranked based solely on their survey feedback scores. Each company was measured in response to 24 questions on subject matters such as connection, alignment, effectiveness, leadership and management, as well as basics such as pay, benefits and flexibility.

To be considered for the ranking, the companies must have had at least 35 employees, have been founded before Jan. 1, 2016, must be founder led (at least 10% ownership of the company),and be headquartered in the U.S. There was no cost to participate in the survey. Individual employee responses were anonymous.

There actually exists an entire subgenre of literature known as “campus fiction.” In fact, while I was at Princeton, they were offering a course for incoming freshman called “Student Life: The University in Film and Fiction.” While any book that involves a professor or a college student, even to a small degree, can get somewhat unfairly lumped into the category, “campus fiction,” generally takes place on a University campus and contains academia-centered plots in one way or another. And though these books are merely fiction, and (hopefully in some cases) not indicators of what you should expect on campus, they are still worth a read to get an idea of the setting. Below is just a short list of a few of the best books in the “campus fiction,” genre.

An extremely humorous book (albeit darkly humorous), Lucky Jim centers around a professor in a small college in Rural England who is in actuality, not so lucky at all. Attempting to secure his reputation as a scholar and lecturer, the somewhat unambitious Professor James Dixon encounters several mishaps and setbacks in the academic world. On the cover of the book’s 1954 first edition, the tale is aptly described as a “frolicking misadventure.”

Part campus fiction, part academic thriller (if such a thing exists), The Secret History focuses on a group of six friends studying Classics at a small college in Vermont. At the outset of the book, you learn about the murder of one of the friends while at the college, as well as which one of them did it. The remainder of the novel is a rather twisted, suspenseful account of the events leading up to the murder, as well as its long term affects on the group of students.

Named one of the best novels written in English 1923-2005 by Time Magazine, Possession does not take place on a traditional campus, but instead follows the journey of two graduate students in England as they become increasingly involved with the project of uncovering a hidden romance between two fictional, celebrated Victorian poets. Jumping between the present and the Victorian era, Possession is an inventive, addictive, and at-times metafictional story of intellectual obsession and scholarly devotion.

On Beauty takes place in a fictional college town in Massachusetts that bears a resemblance to Harvard, where Smith was living at the time she wrote the book. The novel primarily concerns the lives of a British professor and his family who have moved to the university for the father’s academic career. Inspired by E.M. Forester’s novel, “Howard’s End,” Smith addresses themes such as the cultural differences between England in the United States, specifically in terms of attitudes toward race, class, and the value of beauty. As the title would suggest, the book deals in particular with the theme of aesthetics, both in an artistic context and in the context of human appearance and standards of beauty.

Though overshadowed by The Great Gatsby, This Side of Paradise is nonetheless a beautifully written, mostly autobiographical account of Fitzgerald’s time at Princeton as a young man from the Midwest. Though he ultimately left Princeton after a year, This Side of Paradise includes a glimpse into the ups and downs of his freshman year, and contains many critiques about the culture of social competition at elite universities. Fitzgerald wrote book, as the story goes, in an attempt to impress his future wife, Zelda Sayre, as a published author.

More Books to Read]]>How to Pick an Early Decision SchoolCollege ToursCollege ConsultingEli SMon, 10 Sep 2018 19:16:00 +0000https://www.logicprep.com/blog/selecting-an-early-decision-school546119bae4b085cc73a9bff6:54629991e4b068e8b9fa0a19:5b96c047aa4a99f38f91d5dfFor seniors, the timeline to submitting applications is getting shorter and shorter, leaving many asking the question of how to select a school for Early Decision. While the school should definitely be a reach (but a reasonable one!), lots of students are torn between two or three places and wondering how to make up their minds. One of the best ways to do that is going back to the schools you are considering this fall and doing a deeper dive on your visit before applications are due.

On these return visits, I always recommend going while school is in session, which it generally is between now and November 1st. You want to use this time on campus to get a sense of what life is like there for students and how you would fit in. By now, you probably have a better sense of what you would like to do in college, even if you haven’t completely made up your mind. You know what types of classroom environments you’d like to be in and what types of people you’d like to be around. So look for that!

When you’re there on campus, try and imagine what life would be like for you a year from now. What classes would you be taking? Go sit in on one of those. Where would you be having your meals with friends? Go eat in that dining hall. How would you be spending your free time? Go read the student newspaper to see what is happening on campus. Maybe you can even stop by a football game, theater production, or lecture to see the environment there as well.

I would also spend some time around campus getting answers to questions that you are going to have down the road. How easy is it to change majors? What classes are you required to take (and is this a deal breaker for you)? How accessible are the professors? What is the Career Development Office like? Feel free to even drop by the office to get a sense of how they are working with students and helping them get set for life after college. These are all things that will come up down the road, so why not get a jump on them now before you sign a binding Early Decision commitment?

Julia returns to her alma mater, Princeton!

And as always, don’t hesitate to ask your instructors about their experience if they went to one of these schools you’re considering. Also, consider asking one of our advisors if any LP alum are attending a school you’re considering. We would be happy to connect you with them so you can really learn what it’s like to be a student there. Everyone loves to brag about their alma mater, and this decision is important. So, let us know how we can help you to feel truly empowered to make your final decision.

View our College Tours]]>On Bookstores & MajorsCollege ConsultingEducational ArticlesDavid ZFri, 07 Sep 2018 16:14:55 +0000https://www.logicprep.com/blog/on-bookstores-majors546119bae4b085cc73a9bff6:54629991e4b068e8b9fa0a19:5b929c7f032be49d685a8c25My favorite bookstore in the world in the same city as my favorite sister in the world (side note: I have only one sister). It’s called Powell’s Books, which is an enormous warehouse of a building, yet somehow also feels cozy. In color-coded room after color-coded room, there are books on every possible subject and in every genre. Best of all, Powell’s shelves new and used books together, so If I’m traveling to Berlin, say, I can buy the latest guidebook… along with a 19th-century traveler’s diary.

(Image)

Nearly every Dec 26th, my family goes. And every time we enter, the same thing happens: we make beelines to different sections, roam the store following our varied interests, and don’t see each other again till we meet in the café with piles of books to choose from. Our tastes aren’t always what a stranger would guess: for instance, my brother, a composer, somehow finds himself in the international mysteries; I predictably dart for languages but somehow wind up in monographs about animal intelligence.

I’ve been thinking about Powell’s because it’s college essay writing season – and after my first question (“what do you plan to major in?”) I get to ask one of my favorites: if you were trapped in Powell’s Bookstore -- and had no phone -- where would you go? Which is another way of saying: what really makes you interested? What subjects actually bring you pleasure? And be specific, because Powell’s is huge! If you love “sports,” my next question will be: which sports? And then: the history of that sport? Stats? Memoirs of? Business management?

The larger question, of course, is what strange byways of knowledge would you like to explore? Because if I know which section of Powell’s you’d wind up in, I know something about you -– something better than what your major might be. I know what you truly find fascinating. And that is the beginning of really knowing someone.

So choose your major wisely, but also: make sure at college – and in life – you make time to wander the bookshelves of Powell’s. Whether or not you actually find yourself in the real Powell’s or not.

More College Application Advice]]>College Isn't Just About the Academics: The Cornell ExperienceBehind the ScenesCollege LifeCornellStudent PerspectivesAlex WWed, 05 Sep 2018 17:28:40 +0000https://www.logicprep.com/blog/college-isnt-just-about-the-academics-cornell546119bae4b085cc73a9bff6:54629991e4b068e8b9fa0a19:5afe4cbb0e2e72e7abe0b733

Obviously, your first priority starting college is to figure out what classes you want to take so you can pick a major and prepare yourself for a career, or in some cases, grad-school. It's important to realize if you spend all your time working hard and never taking a break you might burn out. For that reason, it is a good idea to become involved in a variety of activities on campus and attend fun social events you hear about with your friends. Looking back on my first year of college- I was able to get involved in some pretty cool groups that made my experience much more enjoyable.

Here are a few things I was involved in on campus this past year that I would definitely recommend to incoming freshman who are looking for extracurriculars to broaden their horizons.

Sport Taekwondo

At Cornell you are required to take a Physical Education class, and I thought a martial arts class could be interesting, so I enrolled in the intermediate Taekwondo class. I found the class so much fun that I ended up joining the team and traveling to a few tournaments at other schools. While the time commitment was pretty large, joining a club sport team was a great way to blow off steam after a long week of classes, and also helped motivate me to keep in shape by going to practice at the end of the day, when I would otherwise have stayed in the dorm.

ChemE Car

As an engineer, I was interested in working on projects outside of class, and Cornell’s assortment of project teams allowed me to satisfy this desire. During our weekly general body meeting or weekend lab time, I was able to collaborate with other people interested in working in a similar field to prepare for competition, learn important technical skills from upperclassmen, and feel accomplished in applying my knowledge of math and science in a way that I felt mattered. You also get to bond with the members of your team during travel for regional or national competition, and they are often some of the most interesting people you meet at your time in college.

Zeta Psi

Going into college, I had no intentions of joining a social fraternity; in fact, I didn’t even show up to rush week until the very last night. The two-to-three events I attended, however, convinced me otherwise. While your friends from your dorm and classes will spend a lot of time with you, it is always nice to have a brotherhood of people you can turn to if you need a change of pace. Working together with a bunch of friends to have fun at college, organize philanthropy projects, and maintain a house together brings you closer to your peers than you would ever expect, and is an experience I would definitely recommend.

Alpha Chi Sigma

In addition to social fraternities, professional fraternities are a good way to make connections within the student body at your school and to network for after college. In a professional fraternity you benefit both from the social aspects of a brotherhood and from the resume-building/academic advising of a pre-professional organization. As a prospective chemical engineer, having a group who shares my passion for science has helped me feel comfortable in my classes and has significantly reduced the amount of stress I experience when picking classes and studying for tests.

Hillel

Religious groups on campus are a good way to bond with people of a similar background and to maintain traditions you may have celebrated growing up now that you are away from home. IN addition to attending the occasional shabbat dinner, I took part in a pre-orientation program the week before school began that was organized by Hillel, and many of the people I met on this trip are still my close friends today. I enjoyed this experience so much I am even coming back to campus early this summer to help lead the trip for incoming freshman in the class of 2021!

Intramural Sports

For those who are interested in competitive athletics, but who may not feel comfortable with the time commitment of a club or varsity sport, intramural sports are the perfect afternoon activity to unwind after classes. You can sign up with a group of friends to play once a week, and even have a rotation so that not everyone has to attend every game. Especially when the weather is nice, there is no better way to get a group of people together to run around and have a good time than the intramural program organized by your school. I took part in basketball, volleyball, and softball this past year, (sometimes with friends from my dorm, sometimes with fraternity brothers, sometimes on co-ed fraternity/sorority teams) and each of them was a blast!

Slope Day

Every week a new event will pop up on your Facebook feed that you will be interested in, but won’t find the time to go to. This past year I missed stand-up from Josh Peck and from John Mulaney, a live performance by Gucci Mane, and several other events that I wish I had gone to! The one major event I attended was Slope Day, an annual concert held on Libe Slope that features live music, carnival games, food, etc. Even though finals were coming up a few days after this event, I couldn’t be happier that I went because my friends and I had a great time taking a day off from work to hang out, catching up with people we hadn’t seen in awhile, and getting to listen to some artists we had never heard of before who turned out to be better than expected. Obviously you should balance work and play during your time at college, but if you manage your time properly, you will definitely have time to attend some of these events throughout the semester, and I can guarantee you won’t regret it.

For College Lifestyle Tips Click Here!]]>Tips for College Move-In DayCollege LifeEducational ArticlesBentleyScrippsRae-Ann PFri, 31 Aug 2018 18:35:46 +0000https://www.logicprep.com/blog/your-dorm-room-checklist546119bae4b085cc73a9bff6:54629991e4b068e8b9fa0a19:5b89871e352f532c5fec8edaIt’s almost Labor Day, and if you haven’t begun moving in already (many freshman students are probably already settled in), it’s time to start going through your closets, stocking up on supplies, and most importantly, buying the cutest and coolest dorm room accessories and decor!

For many, the task of packing up and moving can be overwhelming and stressful. The excitement you feel as a freshman wears off every year after that! It’s definitely a shock getting used to not only a much smaller space but one that you might have to share with a stranger. Fingers crossed for an amazing roomie! Here are a few tips to help ease your way back to school.

Resident balconies at Scripps College

Simplify your wardrobe

You’ll probably be going home a few times between the start of the semester and when the weather starts to change, so I suggest bringing only what you need! You won’t need your heavy sweatshirts and jackets until the end of October, possibly even November. So, leave those at home so you have more space in your dorm closet.

Hang, stack, hide

Learning how to organize everything you need will help you greatly! I highly suggest purchasing stackable drawers or totes to help keep related items together. This will keep your room clean and your items easy to find! Also, many schools allow you to raise your bed, and this adds much more space. Use your spaces wisely!

Take a breather

Move-in day can be hectic. There are hundreds of students and their families mulling around campus. Once you have all your belongings in the room, it’s ok to take a moment to yourself and take a deep breath before unpacking. This will clear your head and help you feel ready to tackle the daunting task of getting your new room just right.

Dorm room at Bentley University

Coordinate with your roomie

I couldn’t agree with this point more! I remember when I was moving into my dorm, my roommate and I (strangers before college), communicated via email to discuss who would bring what. This ensured that we weren’t stuck with limited space because we had two refrigerators, two tv’s, two vacuums, etc. Touch base with each other before you start stocking up!

Make it Yours

Even though there’s a lot of anxiety surrounding moving in, the best part is making the space truly yours. Your room should reflect who you are! So, buy those cool posters and wall art, get the bedding with the super cute pattern, and let your personality shine. Above all, have fun!!

Good luck to all of our college freshman and returning college students in the new school year!!

Cosmo graduated from the University of Chicago with a double major in public policy and Latin American studies. At Chicago, he served on student government, competed with the Model UN team, and worked as a consultant for a number of local non-profits in the education sector. Fascinated by cities, he wrote his honors thesis on contemporary and historical approaches to urban planning in both Bolivia – his father's country of origin – and Brazil, where he studied abroad in 2017. When he's not trying to perfect his Portuguese, Cosmo enjoys going to the beach, riding his bike, and compulsively shopping for books.

Eric graduated from Stanford University with a B.A. in Political Science. During his time as an undergraduate, he explored the practical application of comparative politics with internships at non-profits in Argentina and Chile and at an embassy in France. Out of the various activities in which Eric participated, one of the most meaningful and engaging was his time as a tutor for a local middle school education program. This experience exposed him to the joy of teaching students and fostering their academic development.

Fausto was born in Honduras but grew up in Durham, North Carolina. He graduated from Duke University with a degree in Public Policy and a certificate in Journalism and Media. He studied abroad in Brazil and fell in love with Portuguese ever since. Upon graduating, Fausto worked at Duke's Office of Undergraduate Education managing programs that pushed students to explore their identities and values inside the classroom and beyond. He especially loved facilitating student-faculty connections.Fausto enjoys singing, dancing, reading, NPR podcasts and binge watching Netflix crime documentaries.

A native of Texas, Jacob graduated from Columbia University with a B.A. in Earth Science and a concentration in Urban Teaching. He split his time at Columbia between studying air pollution and teaching and found a way to combine those two passions in a thesis project on urban air quality and student achievement. After teaching science in Harlem, the Bronx, and Hartford, Jacob took his skills to the world of museum education, where he worked to bring science education and hands-on programming to students across North Texas. When he's not poring over practice questions, Jacob can be found in the kitchen, trying out a new recipe, or on the couch, tasting those recipes and bingeing on Netflix.

Jacqueline graduated from Princeton University with a degree in Psychology and minors in Dance and Computer Science, completing two theses: a set of empirical psychological studies on mind-reading, and an original choreographic work, for which she also designed the soundscape. While at Princeton, she was actively immersed in the dance community and served as a tour guide for the admissions office. Jacqueline loves being able to use her backgrounds in both psychology and dance to better understand herself and those around her, and channels her passions for empathy, communication, and mentorship into helping students learn. When she isn’t at LogicPrep or working on her dance career, Jacqueline enjoys wandering bookstores, unpacking her mind into a journal, and baking vegan treats.

Jake graduated from Dartmouth with a major in government and a minor in psychology focusing on decision-making processes. He wrote his honors thesis on international refugee governance policy. In Hanover, Jake was a Co-Editor-in-Chief of the Dartmouth Law Journal, a Vice President of the International Business Council, a four-year tour guide for the Admissions Office and Historian for the Dartmouth Rugby Football Club. A strong believer in combining practical and theoretical education, Jake has explored his interest in international relations by living and working in places like Zagreb, Washington, D.C., and Rome.

Born in Montevideo, Uruguay and raised across three continents, Nico K. is an educator and director now living in New York City. Nico graduated Cum Laude from Princeton University, where he created an independent concentration in Performance Studies, focusing on the ethics and politics of social performances across cultures. At Princeton, he was entrenched in all areas of the arts, making work across theatre, dance, music, creative writing, sculpture, and performance art, building a deep respect for well-roundedness and collaboration. He is also an avid swimmer, improviser, and tea-drinker. Nico has always loved to learn and to teach, working to develop confidence in students – no matter what their learning style might be – so they feel empowered to achieve their best.

Originally from Los Angeles, Shadi is currently living in Miami where she's earning her Masters in Business Analytics. Shadi has many years of experience supporting students, and her favorite subject to teach is geometry. Shadi believes that math is all around us, even in nature! When she teaches, she likes to take the time to point out the real-world usefulness of every topic. In her free time, Shadi will take any chance she gets to be in the outdoors or listen to live music.

Get Started]]>A Letter to High School Students Who Don't ReadACTACT EnglishBooks to ReadSATSAT VerbalRoger RWed, 29 Aug 2018 19:21:09 +0000https://www.logicprep.com/blog/a-letter-to-high-school-students-who-dont-read546119bae4b085cc73a9bff6:54629991e4b068e8b9fa0a19:5b86ebd6cd8366ed412c3843Dear High Schoolers,

Here’s the problem: you probably don’t read. Ok, actually, you don’t read at all. If you’re trying to get better at standardized tests, unfortunately, Instagram is not going to help you. Scrolling through nonsense on your phone does not count as reading, even if you’ve traded every spare minute of your life staring at Twitter.

Here’s the solution: read something-- anything that’s more than one page long. I’m not asking for much, but let’s consider how much I’ve read this summer and then compare it to how much you’ve read this summer. We can then compromise on how many pages you are going to read so that you can become a faster reader and score higher on your tests. Perhaps they weren’t the best books I’ve ever read, but I’ll run you through them here just so you have an idea of what people who read, do.

Roger caught reading at our annual retreat

The first book I read this summer was called American Gods, by Neil Gaiman. It is a quick novel, just 465 pages, and I don’t recommend it unless you’re into fantasy and nonsense. Not the kind of nonsense on Elliot Tebele's Instagram, mind you, but well-written nonsense. The story is one of the old gods vs. the new; the old Norse and native American gods are getting old and can’t compete with the new gods of media and television. A war is taking place in the American psyche and you are on the front lines. I will not mention that this is now a TV show because you’ll probably just stream it and continue to read nothing.

Next up was Love and Other Pranks, by Tony Vigorito. It's a silly love story nestled in a silly caper to expose the lies and deceit of a new-age guru charlatan. The guru is a horrible person and hoards money that he gets from his congregation. His former student decides to take revenge with a lot of laughing out loud along the way.

And then there was The Dark Tower, by Stephen King, a modern-day Lord of the Rings epic. While a bit more R-rated, this story follows a cloaked mercenary through a series of adventures that are typically weird. These books are also well-written nonsense but in my defense, we are up over a thousand pages of nonsense that I’ve put on my summer reading list so far.

For the nerdist types, the last book I'll mention is The Dragons of Eden, by Carl Sagan. This book takes the reader on a journey of scientific discovery beginning at the brains of the dinosaurs. Reptile brains are small and consist of a spinal cord and a small nub at the end called the R-complex (much like the human medulla oblongata). It is thought that much of our instinct is present in this area and only through the advent of the cerebral corpus have higher order animals developed the ability to think clearly. The problem is that having a cerebral cortex does not guarantee that you, my friend, are thinking clearly.

Please, I implore you, use your cerebral cortex for more than cat videos and learn something for crying out loud. Let's compromise on you reading more than a few pages of an actual book every day. If for nothing more than to improve your ACT or SAT score. But remember, Instagram and Twitter pages don't count.

Sincerely,

Roger, Instructor (and concerned citizen)

More Books to Read]]>LogicPrep in Forbes: Mentorship Lessons From Running an Education CompanyIn The NewsCollege ConsultingEducational ArticlesKim DennyThu, 23 Aug 2018 20:18:02 +0000https://www.logicprep.com/blog/logicprep-in-forbes-mentorship-lessons-from-running-an-education-company546119bae4b085cc73a9bff6:54629991e4b068e8b9fa0a19:5b7f0a79aa4a99d40b71addfAs the founder of an education company that prepares high school students for college, Lindsay is often asked about LogicPrep's average test score improvement, college acceptance rates and other metrics by which we measure success.

While we are deeply proud of our students’ outcomes, she feels that one of LogicPrep's greatest strengths is the least measurable (at least in numerical terms). What makes her most proud is when a student says that they enjoyed coming into our office, connected with their instructors and felt supported and encouraged.

Mentorship, which is such a powerful motivator for our students, has been equally essential to Lindsay's own development as a CEO. But it is by working with students and seeing them thrive that she’s come to learn how to foster these relationships in business.

Read Lindsay's latest feature in Forbes, which talks about the role of mentorship in her life and why fostering supportive, motivating relationships is essential to our students' success.

Read the Full Article About Mentorship]]>How Reading Can Help You Overcome Culture ShockBooks to ReadEducational ArticlesLP Brazil NewsMurilo BWed, 22 Aug 2018 17:24:22 +0000https://www.logicprep.com/blog/read-this-book-if-youre-interested-in-brazilian-culture546119bae4b085cc73a9bff6:54629991e4b068e8b9fa0a19:5b7c647a575d1f535854b595We work hard to prepare our Brazilian students for the cultural shock of starting college in the US. But what happens when our US team works with Brazilian students or comes to visit us in Brazil?

Our experience shows that reading helps people to understand some of the cultural nuances that might not otherwise be obvious. We usually recommend a list of ten books that were written by accomplished Brazilian writers. The first book is always the same: Dona Flor and Her Two Husbands. The purpose of my blog post is to write about this book and explain the importance of reading it to understand Brazilian culture.

Dona Flor and Her Two Husbandswas written in 1966 by Jorge Amado, one of Brazil’s most accomplished novelists. It tells the story of Dona Flor, a young woman living in the northeast of Brazil and married toVadinho. The plot begins with the sudden death of Dona Flor’s husband, known for being irresponsible and a great lover. Dona Flor remarries with pharmacist Teodoro, a well-respected man and described as being the exact opposite of Vadinho. The story evolves and Teodoro, Dona Flor and the ghost of Vadinho end up sharing the same bed and living together as a triplet.

This novel can be interpreted in many ways. My favorite version is the one that describes Brazilian culture as the perfect blend of formality and informality. In Brazil, the stiffness of behavior (Teodoro) and relaxed and unofficial style (Vadinho) walk together, hand-in-hand, in a balanced and yet chaotic way. Brazilians love to overlap work with social life; we exercise rule-setting but praise flexibility. In day-to-day life, Brazilians can have the most respectful manners towards their coworkers and yet call them by their nicknames. In addition, we talk to people on the streets with proximity regardless of being strangers.

There is no moral judgment here. It is what it is. When it comes to overcoming the cultural shock, there is no good or bad, worse or better. I feel strongly that understanding these cultural idiosyncrasies and ambiguities is an important step toward overcoming the cultural shock and emphathizing better with students.